Oceanside council votes to rethink Fourth of July fireworks

Oceanside will consider bringing fireworks back to the city on the Fourth of July, the City Council decided at a meeting Wednesday.

Councilman Jack Feller placed before the City Council the notion of sponsoring a fireworks display at El Corazon, a plot of land in the middle of the city that will eventually be developed into a recreational and commercial area with a large park and hotels.

In its usual split, the City Council voted 3-2 to have city prepare a report to bring back to for a final vote on the matter. That was supported by Councilmen Feller, Kern and Gary Felien. Mayor Jim Wood and Councilwoman Esther Sanchez opposed looking into bringing fireworks back for the time being, citing cuts to vital city services such as public safety and parks and recreation as reason not to consider something that could cost the city more money.

The council did not vote whether to spend any more money on fireworks or public safety staffing on the holiday. That will happen when the council reviews the report. City Manager Peter Weiss said the city does not yet have a cost estimate for hosting fireworks at El Corazon.

Several members of the council were concerned about the impact of a fireworks display on city finances.

“We’re not in a position to be able to absorb any costs at all, especially not in light of possible cuts to public safety,” Sanchez said. “We are talking about very serious issues here. It’s not just the fireworks that cost, it’s the city’s response to these larger crowds.”

Feller said he has been contacted by people who would help pay for a fireworks display.

“Already there are several major sponsors who are willing to help fund this,” he said.

He he has received several hundred emails in the last three years asking that the tradition be reinstated, he said

The fireworks, once shot off from a barge on the ocean, were canceled in 2009 due of financial constraints.

Oceanside residents speaking at the meeting generally supported fireworks, though some questioned whether it was the right time and whether El Corazon was the right place.

Feller said it was a nice central location where many could see the pyrotechnics if shot hundreds of feet into the air.

Some, such as Oceanside resident Cora Frolander, said it was important to have them in Oceanside because of the strong military presence and its proximity to Camp Pendleton.

“Boy I do miss the fireworks,” Frolander said. “It’s like a birthday without candles.”

Felien said he wanted Oceanside residents to tell them at a budget workshop scheduled for Sept. 27 how they think fireworks should fall in the city’s budget priorities.

Nearby Camp Pendleton and Legoland in Carlsbad typically have fireworks displays on the Fourth of July.